File.



U. E; ULRICH.

FILE.

APPLIOATIQN- rum) 001?. 4, 1913.

1,126,922. Patentd F9112, 1915.

wi/im/ewea: Inventor MOTH/5y.

s'rATns PATENT OFFICE.

CHAR LES B. ULBICHiOF HO UGHTON, MICHIGAN.

FILE.

Specification of Letters Ilatent.

Patented Feb. 2, 1915.

Application filed October 4, 1913. Serial No. 793.349.

-To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, CHARLES B. ULRICH,

" a, citizen of the United States, residing at Hou'ghton, in the county of Houghton and State of Michigan, have invented certain vnew and useful Improvements in Files, of which the following is a full, clear, concise,

and exact description, reference being had papers -or other articles filed position.

to the accompanying-drawings. forming a part of this specification. My invention relates to'an improvement in files and is particularly adapted toa. vertical filing mechanism in which a plurality of receptacles or pockets disposed in substantially parallel arrangement is employ'ed/in which it is desirable to maintain in proper My improved construction is particularly adapted for use in connection with a filing device of the kind shown in my c'opending application, Serial No. 728,042, filed Octoher 28th, 1912. V I

By. my intention compression springs are employed between the adjacent walls of the several receptacles or pockets of the file, each. spring being secured to each of the Walls between which it lies so that it is I thereby securely held in place, and acts upon both of the pockets to in part compressthem and hold the contents 111 place. As many springs as desired may be employed to constitute a. single set of springs between the adjacent walls of any two pockets, and the walls of the receptacles or pockets adjacent to the casing of .the file are preferably connected therewith by sets of springs of a similar nature to those just referred'to.

The several drawings illustrating my invention are as follows: Figure'l shows, in vertical cross-section, a filing cabinet coni taining devices for supporting a plurality of pockets or receptacles in vertical arrangemerit, and also shows the location of -the compression springs relatively to the pockets; Fig; 2 shows a single pocket removed, and indicates the manner of attaching the springs thereto; and Fig. 3 shows. in a detailed view, a modified construction of pocket or. receptacle and supporting rod.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

As shown in Fig. 1, the casing 1 is provided with a front wall 2 hinged to the casingat 3. The casing is also provided nected to them depending pockets 12 of flexible material such as any suitable fabric, so that one upper-edge of the pocket is supported by one of the rods'll, while the other upper edge is supported by a rod 11 carried by the'next one of the pivotal points 10.

The bottoms of the pockets 12 are formed by the natural folds of the material as it hangs from the supporting rods.

As shown in'Fig. 3, the supporting rod 13 connected directly with the pivotal points 1'0 has passing around it the upper edges of the pockets 14, thus doing away with the extra cross-rods 11, two of which are shown in Fig. 1 in connection with each pivotal point 10.

The particular feature of my present invention consists, in combination with a filing device of the kind shown and described above or any similar filing device using pockets or receptacles 'as' described above, of compressing means for holding the pockets in closed position with a slight pressure so. as to hold the contents of the pockets securely in place for all positions of the pockets or-receptacles in the casing. To secure this result,,I refer-ably employ a plurality of springs of light wire formed in a double helico-spiral shape, and each end of I each spring is attached to a wall of one of the receptacles or pockets so that the adjacent walls of adjacent pockets are secured together by these springs-and thus each spring exerts a slight pressure upon each of the corresponding twoad1acent pockets, and the corresponding end springs having the r ends secured to the casing and to the adj acent walls of the end pockets serve to keep in such a compressed position as to'maintain the contents of the entire file in proper po-, sition', whether the casing is open or closed.

' all of the walls of the pockets or receptacles In this connection it will. be explained'that eachrow t springslti is disposed alonga ets are above-tithe bottom of the case or cabinet and are'entirely free therefrom. This is a very important feature of the present invention because it permits of the sheets extending entirely to the bottom of the pocket in a smooth and. straight condition, which would be impossible if the bottoms of the flexible pockets should strike the bottom of the case or. cabinet and crumple or fold up thereon.

As shown in Fig. 2, each spring 15 may be secured to the adjacent wall otthe pocket 12' by small pieces of fabric 17 passing around the end turn of the spring and sewed to the wall of the pocket or receptacle, or if" preferred, a sheet of thin material such as pressed board or fiber 18 may be employed, which sheet is slotted as indicated at 19 to permit the end turn of the spring to pass through the slotted portions to be held in place thereby upon the face of the sheet 18, which sheet may then be secured to the wall of the pocket in any desired manner. The end springs 16 are preferably secured to the casing by staples so as to hold them in place. As a result of the construction described, when the pockets contain papers or other articles to be filed, the slight compression exerted upon practically the whole surface of the pocket keeps the articles in proper vertical position, whether the cas ing is open or closed, and as this pressure is distributed over the entire surface of the pockets, the papers or other articles filed in the pockets may be of irregular size without danger of their shifting in the pockets when the file is opened and closed, or when the file is moved from one position to another.

It will be apparent that my inventionis applicable to a filing system whether the file is inclosed in a tight cabinet, as indicated in Fig. 1, or whether the cabinet is open and not wholly inclosed; and. further,

that any particular suspending device may be employed for holding the pockets in their proper position: and that my invention is fully realized by the use of any devices which will provide a plurality of receptacles for containing articles or papers to be filed, to-

mg the walls of the receptacles" in such position as to engage the contents of the receptacles by the. compression thus produced gether-lwith compression'springs for, bold walls of adjacent pockets, one end of each spring being secured to the wall of one pocket and its other end secured to the wall of the adjacent pocket. i

2. In a file, the combination of a plurality of suspended flexible rebeptacles for receiving papers or articles to be filed, said receptacles being disposed with their walls substantially. parallel with each other, and a plurality of springs outside of the receptacles and between the walls of adjacent receptacles, each of said springs forming a spring connection between the adjacent walls of the adjacent receptacles.

3. Ina file, the combination of a frame,

supporting devices carried by the frame,

flexible receptacles suspended in substantially parallel arrangement from the supporting devices, and compression springs connecting adjacent walls of adjacent recep;

tacles.

1. In a file, the combination of a casing,

supporting devices carried b the casing,

flexible receptacles suspende in substan tially parallel arrangement from the supporting devices, and compression springs l0- cated between the adjacent walls of each pair of adjacent receptacles and between the outenwa-lls of the outer receptacles and the casing for compressing all of the receptacles to hold their contents in place.

5. In a file, the combination of a plurality of suspended receptacles or pockets of flexible material, compression springs between the receptacles and connecting adjacent walls thereof, and a pressure-distributing plate connected with the springs and secured to the wall of one of the receptacles.

6. In a file, the combination of a plurality of suspended receptacles or pockets of flexible material, springs located between adjacent receptacles for compressing them,

and strips of relatively stifi material secured ment, and compression springs between the receptacles an thereofl 8. In a file, the combination of a plurality of flexible receptacles having their edges supported in substantially parallel arrangement, compression springs between the receptacles 'and connecting adjacent walls thereof, and strips of relatively stiflt' material secured to the springs and the Walls of the receptacles for distributing pressure of the springs upon said walls.

9. A file having an upright flexible pocket open at its upper end and also suspended from its top, the closed bottom of the pocket being free. and unsupported, and spring means pressing against the exteriors of the connecting adjacent walls opposite sides of the pocket and tending to orce the sides of the pocket together to grip material therebetween, said springs being disposed along a line extending transversely of the pocket where a sheet 1n the pocket tends to fold under its-own weight.

10.. A file having a series of flexible upright pockets open at their tops, the closed bottoms of the pockets being free and unsupported, and helical springs interposed between the pockets and connected at their opposite ends to respective sides of adjacent pockets and tending to force together the sides of the respective pockets.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 22nd day of September, A. D.,

CHARLES B. ULRICH. Witnesses RAYMOND G. Bnnnoon,

Hmwnv n FDGDWRG 

